


Relative Risk Reduction

by Megumi



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Medical School, Pining, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-09-19 22:30:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9463085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megumi/pseuds/Megumi
Summary: What would happen if Link realized he was not meant to be an engineer, after all? Would Rhett support his decision?Primarily Link's POV.NCSU pre-med program and medical school realm might differ from reality as I am not very familiar with how the system worked back in 2000s.





	1. Chapter 1

Link looked back at the crumpled piece of paper in his hand. He smoothed it on top of the table and looked at the letters, as if trying to determine if anything changed in the thirty seconds it took him to chicken out. It all stayed the same. "Biological Sciences". His application to change majors was approved, and now all he needed to do was tell Rhett.

He kept this decision from his best friend for as long as he could, which wasn't very long, to be honest — maybe three months? Link wasn't a secret-keeper, he had never been one, and this mystery, in which he shrouded his sophomore year's fall, was eating away at him like nothing ever did. He understood all the implications of making that choice, even though it made him incredibly scared. At times, Link wanted to grab his bag and just run away from his Bio 181 class that Rhett didn't even know he was taking (and, to be honest, that class was boring and familiar anyway).

However, there was always one incentive that kept him at bay. Whenever he looked back at a book he picked up from the sale bin at Borders, a rather silly biography of a doctor whose name he could never recall, Link could see his own face on top of the generic guy in a white coat on the cover. He could vividly imagine all the events in the book being about him, and it captivated him to the point where he would see dreams of really helping people. That was cliche, and he was smart enough to recognize it, but somehow it all made sense to him. It made total sense at the point of applying to change his major, and it still remained one of the most entertaining challenges that he ever put himself to. He knew full well that Rhett probably wouldn't be interested in something like medicine, ever. They did start this together, though, and he owed Rhett to at least tell him the truth.

"Hey man".

Link jumped at the sound of Rhett's voice, so relaxed and mellow. Somehow the idea of telling Rhett later became so much more enticing, yet Link knew it needed to be now — or never. After endless consultations with his advisor, visits to the Health Professions Advising Center, phone calls with his mother _and_ his father, Link made this important decision. Of course, it wasn't set in stone — he heard the words of caution about many people changing their minds even in their senior year, — but pursuing such a career, as one booklet said, required 'a lot of patience and dedication spanning years and even decades of training'. He was thinking about it long and hard enough to now be sure that it was the right decision. Engineering was a good and stable choice of an occupation for sure, yet... Link couldn't help but think that it was forced onto him, just as it was shoved down Rhett's throat. The path was not theirs, it was rather a convenient cop-out for everyone else to calm down and not worry about their future.

All of this was a contemplation that was too old by now. Link often couldn't fall asleep because of these thoughts, and his dreams were always filled with the same sense of impending betrayal that he was about to unleash right at this moment.

"Hey, brother", Link gulped. "Listen, I need to talk to you about something".

He could see that Rhett was surprised at the tone of his voice. After years of knowing each other and being so close, they both recognized the slightest changes in each other's mood. Now that they were roommates, this knowledge extended beyond what typical "best friends" would share.

"Yeah? Well, I'm done for the day, so spill the beans", Rhett finally shrugged, getting comfortable on his bunk and opening a can of "Mello Yello". Link envied his ability to instantly gather his thoughts; somehow it also made him think of how suitable that skill was for a future doctor. But Rhett wouldn't ever want _that_ for himself, and Link was as sure in that as he was in his own choice.

"Y'know how I've been thinking of the major, right?.." Link felt he was beating about the bush with that intro, but it seemed infinitely hard for him to just cut straight to the chase.

"Well, I mean, just 'Engineering' is kinda broad, so we need to figure out the exact track", Rhett nodded, as if sensing the hesitation.

"You see... I gave it a lot of thought. I mean, a lot. I took some other courses, even. And... I got this today", Link shook the piece of paper and after a long sigh handed it over to Rhett. He had to give him credit: Rhett took the letter and read it very thoroughly before saying anything or asking questions. However, once he was done...

"Biology?.." If it was ever possible to carve pure emotions from someone's face, Rhett's would easily be an embodiment of surprise and sheer lack of understanding, as if in front of him was not a piece of paper but an alien puzzle from fourth dimension. "Link, but... What?! What is going on?"

Link looked straight at him. It barely registered with him that he clenched his fists and stood in a defensive manner as he watched Rhett tower over him with all his stature.

"That's what I want to do".

"But why?! Weren't we agreeing upon something... practical?"

Link did see in his face the offense, the all-encompassing feeling of being left alone. The reason wasn't exactly what Link chose at this point, but rather the fact that Link did change his major without asking Rhett for advice or at least sharing it with him. Expressive as Link was, in their duo it was never him to show anger and frustration; those were Rhett's reserved emotions.

"We were. And I am still doing it with that agreement in mind", Link gulped, trying to keep himself cool. He knew that once the words of "medical school" and "being a doctor" flew out of his mouth, there would be no way back to recover their intimate bond.

They met the pre-meds once in the library. A group of five or six guys with a couple of girls mixed in were sitting in a corner and debating something quietly. All around them were flashcards probably in counts of hundreds, the thickest textbooks Link saw in anyone's bag, and gigantic posters all covered with charts. It wasn't rare to see someone study so... _furiously_ , not at all, but the detail that stuck with Link was the encounter the next morning. He left the library at about eleven last night, and the group was still there; as he was walking past the library entrance to his nine a.m. class, the study group slowly exited the building, looking tired beyond belief and wearing the same clothes.

Rhett was there, and he did chuckle about the "nerds" who pulled an all-nighter on a Friday — until Link gave him a death stare. It happened maybe two months ago, and Link didn't know back then whether or not he would be the one to join the cohort. It did hypnotize him, nonetheless — the perspective of maybe sharing this experience of pushing your brain towards the limit of exhaustion, all the while learning something incredible. Putting smiles back onto people's faces. Making a difference.

"Yeah? And how exactly is that?" Rhett sneered, looking angrier than ever. Link was never intimidated by this look: he knew that Rhett would never, ever punch him or even shove hard enough to cause damage. They did care about each other, even if it was never said out loud. Now Link also realized that it was a part of his personality which made him exactly suitable for medicine.

"I... I wanna be a doctor. It's a pre-med thing", Link answered. Instinctively, he pulled back from Rhett and stepped aside, as the air between them seemed to gain more and more static electricity. He swallowed the hard ball of regret that burned a pit in his stomach. He waited for a reaction. Rhett's arms fell back to his sides, and then Link witnessed a sincere amazement that was a very, very infrequent guest on that face.

"D-doctor?" Rhett stuttered, and then he doubled up in a roaring laughter. "You?! You are squeamish as fuck, Link!"

"Yeah, they say it passes on the second day of med school", Link shrugged — that argument was absolutely not new, as his parents, advisors, and a certain professor already pointed that feature of his out. It took him about thirty minutes to read into the "vasovagal syncope" entry in the medical encyclopedia and research the subject online, just about enough to understand that it posed no threat to what he felt started to shape up into a real dream. A dream that was more real than any other, something so practical and visible that it surpassed even their wish of applying to film school. 

"Really?" Rhett made a quick pause in his fit to look back at him. Link did notice the exact moment when it all hit Rhett with so much gravity that it wiped off all last remnants of control out. He didn't dodge Rhett's hands, though, as his palms clasped Link's shoulders and shook him. "So you're telling me you... you are willing to abandon me?!"

"I'm not abandoning you", Link raised one eyebrow. "I'm still here on campus, we're still roommates. We don't even take same classes anymore, so what difference does it make?"

"You know what I'm talking 'bout!" Rhett's breath was now labored because of all the anger. "Pre-med, then med school, more school, and what then? I've heard those guys talk, it's like a never-ending race! You won't have any time for... for anything!"

Link was startled. After all these years he gained an (almost) supernatural ability to be able to guess Rhett's unsaid words with a really, really high probability. That "anything", for example, was for sure meant to be "me". Was Rhett hiding something? Because it couldn't, just couldn't simply be that Rhett wouldn't tell him straight away that he would miss Link. It wasn't like they never said it, and Link could count only a handful of times when Rhett would stutter out of embarrassment.

"You mean, I won't have time for you", Link's gaze was now glued to Rhett's face as he tried to process the sensation that the words stirred in his chest. "It's kinda selfish, y'know".

"I don't care!" Rhett snapped as he released Link from his grasp and walked towards the door. "And, y'know what?! You do you, Neal. I don't need you all that much. Good luck, nerd!"

And just like that, Rhett stormed out of the room with a thunderous bang of the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Link was hurt. Of course he was. 

This... 'dude-vorce' (a term coined by their friend Gregg) was hitting him harder than Link expected, to be honest. He spent his days in the library now, trying to avoid Rhett — Rhett's anger, him ignoring Link's meek attempts at holding up a conversation for longer than just two or three words. He missed Rhett's smile. As he sat at the back of the big hall in which Bio 181 lectures were held, Link barely could concentrate on the intricacies of the central dogma. Through his mind, memories would run of how he and Rhett would drive around Buies Creek and listen to country songs. That time seemed to have been swept away, consumed by the hungry and greedy necessities that he faced after changing majors.

Whenever he saw another quiz being passed around, Link stubbornly wrote one word somewhere in the corner. He erased the pencil marks quickly every time, but the word reappeared time after time.

Selfish.

What he did was selfish. What Rhett pushed them through was even more so, if Link ever had a say in what Rhett's actions were. He held no grudge at the way Rhett reacted initially; Link didn't even mind being called a 'nerd'. Who else would bury their head in a textbook in an attempt to lose the main train of thought? And it wasn't like his escapes led to nowhere: Link held his breath more often than not upon discovering yet another puzzling detail of how biology worked. Human biology more than anything, actually.

He was fascinated with history of science, voraciously consuming the blurbs about experimental research. The textbook was composed in such a way that each chapter had several such stories scattered through the dense text filled with mind-boggling acronyms and words comprised of twenty plus letters. To Link, these stories contained people: Francis and Crick, Hodgkin and Huxley, the Curies...

Yes, he did recognize the pattern in which scientists inspired him most. It was clear to him that inevitably sharing this most important part of his life with Rhett would creep up into his brain and reside. Link already had a few dreams in which he and Rhett were together in this; tied by a bond that — according to a few Internet forums where med school students shared their experiences — was very hard to break. Med school was made easier with friends by your side.

However, not even in his dreams could Link not doubt Rhett's sincerity in the decision. He knew Rhett all too well, and medicine wouldn't interest him in the slightest. Link could only hope to be interesting to Rhett as himself, and ever since they came to NCSU, this feeling evaded him more often. Rhett didn't leave him hanging, nor did he try to branch out to find new close friends, but Link did sense certain alienation. It was natural to change, and Link understood why Rhett took different classes, refused to study with him, and rarely participated in the events Link went to. There was too much of them right in each other's faces.

Link understood. Link had patience, and yet it was so painful for him to see Rhett start to lose interest. Ever since he met Rhett, it was one chase after another, a race in which Rhett competed to win, and Link was left with having to prove himself. Not that he ever minded. Link enjoyed looking up to Rhett and impressing him only ever so often. The most rewarding part of it was to see Rhett laugh at his jokes, notice how perked up Rhett became upon hearing some news. Link was trying his hardest to become just as interesting to Rhett as he was to Link. It never involved this much risk before, though.

"Are you studying for the Bio final?"

The soft voice came out of nowhere to Link, who certainly had his notebook open on the desk. He came to the library good four hours earlier, yet the only page he managed to read contained just one word repeated a hundred times.

Selfish.

Link raised his eyes to look at the stranger. He remembered the girl from a lab session: she was in his group once.

Stunning.

She certainly looked stunning. She had a pixie cut and a pierced eyebrow, but somehow the "edgy" look didn't add anything too punk to her appearance; rather, she looked timid. With a smile like that she even resembled Rhett. And, upon seeing her shoes, Link couldn't help but smile at Rhett's voice in his head. _'I like your boots'._

The girl continued to look him right in the eyes, and Link shook the apparition of a much taller figure out of his head. Was he so sullen now to refuse a possible study date with an attractive girl?

"Yeah", he nodded to the girl and smiled apologetically. "I do prefer to study alone, though".

Apparently, it would be a moot point for him to try anyone new. There could be no replacement for Rhett, and even though Link knew perfectly well just how much of a procrastinator Rhett was, and how hard it was to get him to actually study... Link would still only see Rhett beside him at this desk.

The girl shrugged and smiled back as she sat down at the desk next to him. It didn't seem like she was offended, and that brought temporary relief — until Link realized that he just gave up an opportunity to become closer to a girl because of...

Rhett.

And the most shocking thing was that Link himself wasn't shocked. Did he really know it all along that Rhett was so much more important to him? That their friendship, stronger than any blood relation, was the thing Link cherished most right now? He second guessed himself on a lot of things ( _Are the three RNA polymerases gonna be on this test or do I only need to know the basics?_ ), but Rhett's place in his life wasn't one of them. He needed Rhett desperately to be next to him; he was ready to accept that their professional paths would diverge, that what they would "do together" according to the blood oath would have to be a side project or something, but Link was not ready to let Rhett go.

It was selfish. Stupid and selfish. It stung him worse than any type of exotic jellyfish mentioned in the beginning of the textbook; it crushed his heart to think that he wouldn't hear Rhett's laughter any time soon. It was almost unbearable.

Link looked back at his notebook and flipped through the pages back to the notes on transcription. It was much easier to escape.

***

The finals week flew by. Link only crashed his top bunk a couple of times, mostly spending his time in the library; it did bring him a certain peace of mind to not have to face Rhett more than absolutely necessary. Not that Rhett talked to him anyway.

It was only after that week, when Link packed a bag to go home for the holidays. He looked at their picture taped to the side of his bed; it was a little old. They both still had bleached hair then.

"As if a music career would be much more viable", he scoffed under his nose and closed his eyes for a brief moment. A bleak echo of a thud resonated through his chest, and Link felt wetness on his cheeks. Now that he didn't have anything else to take his mind off of Rhett, Link suddenly lost the ability to control his emotions. He punched the wooden bar a couple of times; tired from lack of sleep, he couldn't even produce any sound with these powerless attempts. The thought of driving home alone made him gag.

"I need a nap", he murmured to his pillow, throwing the bag onto his bunk and climbing up behind. As he lay down and allowed his eyelids to shut, he thought he heard Rhett's voice.

An apparition vanished as usual when he opened his eyes. There could be no ghosts; Rhett left campus on Thursday, right after his last final.

_Was he going crazy now?_


	3. Chapter 3

Link drove onto the highway and winced at the deep honk coming from the truck behind him. He was still groggy from his hour-long nap, which mostly filled his heart with anxiety.

In his dream, he once again saw himself wearing scrubs. He was running down a long hallway with a stack of charts in his hands, legs staggering and eyes closing from the fatigue that seemingly penetrated even this layer of his mind. He was tired even there, and the run wasn't easy as he had to dodge the carts and patients walking around the hospital.

What made it even worse was the fact that Rhett wasn't there with him like before. In the past few weeks, in all of Link's dreams Rhett was there with him, complaining angrily at the length of scrubs ( _'Look, they are like capris on me!'_ ), yawning non-stop ( _'What idiot thought that rounds should be held at seven a.m.?'_ ), or just there, running the errands together with Link. In all of those dreams they were still the inseparable duo, absorbing medicine in their bones and blood together. This time — nada. There was no sign of Rhett even existing in that realm. That was enough to throw Link right back into the pit of anxiety and self-pity which he tried to avoid since Rhett walked out of the room that afternoon.

"Listen, I know! I'll let you pass as soon as I can!" Link lashed out at the driver behind him, even though he knew there was no way he could hear the words.

He deliberately didn't turn on any music. Last time he drove his car, Rhett claimed shotgun and put in a CD of Merle Haggard. Certainly not the type of music Link could listen to right now.

He drove in silence, speeding occasionally. There wasn't any reason for him to come home right now: the holidays were still a week away, and since Rhett wasn't talking to him, and all their friends lived in different towns, Link would simply be left to sit at home.

The situation reminded him of the times when he used to be a latchkey kid. Not much has changed, really — maybe now he wouldn't watch 'wrassling' matches, but otherwise, it would still be him, mini wheats and a constant sense of worry. Only now he would think more about what his future held, and not whether or not Link himself would get killed by a burglar. Link certainly was becoming an adult.

***

His mother met him with a cup of coffee and a tired smile. As they sat at the kitchen table, she looked at Link with a hint of worry in her eyes.

"Wanna talk about anything, honey?"

"No, not really. Except maybe what I plan to do in terms of preparation for medical school", Link tried to circumvent the question. "I mean, there's like a lot of things to do. Volunteering, MCAT, maybe research — a lot of things".

She laughed in a plaintive way and shook her head:

"No, dear, I meant something else. I know you're a smart boy, you'll deal with all of that with no problems — you can always come to me for help, of course, but I don't doubt that you'll do everything right. What I meant was Rhett. How're things goin' between the two of you?"

Link paused for a brief moment and then smiled back at his mother: "Everything's alright".

"Really? B'cuz last I heard, he was upset with you".

"He still is", Link averted his gaze and then sighed heavily. "Listen, mom, I don't know. He was very angry at first, and then he just... cut me off. I barely talked to him since I 'fessed. I wish I could mend things".

"Maybe you should really get to talk to him", Sue suggested with a pat on Link's hair. She saw just how tired and sad Link was, and not just in the moment — the sadness found its permanent place in the way Link's eyes sought for consolation. "But, dear, I'm sure he'll come 'round. He's your best friend, he always wants the best for you".

Link looked up and chuckled bitterly: "Yeah, if that were true, he'd..."

"He'd what?"

"He'd trust me enough to... to do the same", Link gulped, understanding all too well that he likely resembled a puppy in the rain as he uttered the words. "I miss him, mom".

"Oh honey", she sighed and rose from her seat to hug Link tight. "I know you do. But are you sure he'd want the same?"

Link felt tears creeping up to his eyelids once again and struggled to keep them at bay. "I don't know anymore. I thought we always wanted the same, but this... He'd make a great doctor, I think, but if he doesn't want it, it'd be pointless".

She stared directly into Link's eyes and shook her head. "I guess it was inevitable. You could never imagine doing anything without Rhett. Ever since you two met".

"It's just not as fun", Link shrugged awkwardly. "I love what I chose, I really do. Y'know, I even felt smarter in that class. It made me feel like I was in the right place".

"I'm glad you finally found something you want to do. Y'know how it is — find something you love, and you won't have to work for a day in your life", she chuckled. "It's gonna be tough, but I'll support you".

"Thanks, mom. And regarding Rhett... I'll talk to him if he lets me. I don't want to lose him just b'cuz I wanna do something different", Link said in a decisive tone and wiped his eyes. It did fall in the right place with him, this determination to actually do something.

It often boiled down to simply coming home. Link wondered sometimes if it was the presence of the distinct smell that brought up all the memories; both happy and sad, the events that made him who he was in a way helped him understand what to do next. Coming home was like a reinstatement of his personality.

"I think he'll support you, too, once he calms down", his mother smiled as she sat back down. "I also wanted to talk to you 'bout the money, Link. Medical school is no walk in the park".

"I know, mom", Link sighed and looked at her with concern. "I will work part-time and save up for the MCAT and the applications. Hopefully I can get a loan once I get in".

"Sounds good", she nodded and offered him more coffee. When Link refused, she realized. "I should've thought better. You go sleep, honey, I made you stay up and talk to me. Don't worry about anything for now, all the talking can come later".

And just like that, Link felt truly at home. Everything was going to be alright.

Soon, he already crawled into his old bed. Staring at the ceiling, he mouthed a few words to whatever was above him — the stars, the Universe, a higher power of some sorts. He knew no one but himself would really hear those words. Yet he still uttered this silent prayer of sorts.

_We will do something together, right? Could this something be medicine... please?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is shorter, sorry. The next one is coming right up though!


	4. Chapter 4

The break wasn't as exciting as usual for Link. Without an opportunity to hang out with Rhett or his other friends, Link felt as if he was stranded on an island. Of course, he still enjoyed not having to get up early in the mornings, the full stock of cereal in the pantry, and, most of all, the pile of fresh laundry done by his caring mom. Without having anything to worry about, he spent his days watching TV and reading books.

The one that managed to keep his attention for longest was 'When the Air Hits Your Brain'. Such a cliche, as Link thought to himself, for a pre-med student to be indulging in books written by doctors. It was a decent way to spend time, though, as the text would probably be amusing even to those outside _the field_ , dramatized and romanticized for effect. Link clung to the pages and longed to share his opinions of what he learned with anyone (Rhett in particular), yet for now, just a few pencil marks left in the margins of the book had to be his only companions.

The book itself did allow him to escape into the realm of what he dreamt about — now more carefully, with a lot of gravity and caution in his judgement. The book itself was focused on neurosurgery — not something Link would ever imagine doing himself. However, it was an enticing read, with all of the intricacies and insides of the medical industry laid out as plain as possible.

One of Link's secrets in school was to never forget minute factoids he stumbled upon in books. Having once read somewhere that capsaicin was the compound that made chili peppers spicy, he didn't allow himself to forget that; the same would apply now to _res ipsa loquitur_ , 'the thing that speaks for itself' and myriads of other small things that speckled the book. He classified himself as a 'keener', or a 'gunner', considering how he managed to keep his 4.0 GPA this semester; medical school would probably only shine more light on that obsessive nature of his.

By the end of the break he had devoured both the 'Air' and another book called 'A Not Entirely Benign Procedure', both of which only reaffirmed his wish to join the elite ranks of medical professionals. Each time Link saw the words akin to 'the eight-hour multiple-choice test required of all medical applicants', it ignited a bright spark in his mind that fed into the flames of his craving to dive deep into the studies. He couldn't explain it to himself quite yet, but there was still time.

When he returned to the dorm the day before classes started, the first place he went to was the library. He checked out a couple of textbooks and bought the rest in the library shop — and then, surprising even himself, he stayed in the reading hall.

He flipped through the pages of his new biology textbook, marveling at the level of detail with which molecular machinery was described and drawn. With a certain degree of fear he also peeked inside the chemistry textbook — even though the course was innocently enough titled 'Chemistry — a Molecular Science', Link somehow sensed that it would involve quite a bit of material that he was not familiar with. And he was right: even though the terms in the table of contents all repeated what he last learned in High School, the text appeared to overflow with equations and graphs; Link failed to recognize some of the symbols, to say the least.

It didn't repulse him, though. It was the mystery he was _designed_ to solve, and feeling this was the coolest, most amazing sensation he ever experienced.

He paid little attention to the calculus book: math was one of his strong suits, and, quite honestly, he only took that class this semester to ease up the load for organic chemistry and a bunch of extra classes recommended by his advisor ( _'Charles, organic chemistry is dreaded by everyone, so make sure you take it easy the semester you choose to register for that. Statistics, microbiology, and histology all may wait'_ ). The one regret Link had was that he couldn't now afford to take an easy A class just for fun, like he and Rhett did last spring. Goofing around in Acting 101 was a lot of fun that he was sure to miss.

He only returned to the dorm at about eleven p.m. that night. Rhett has returned to campus as well, but he was sound asleep on his bunk.

With a sigh, Link climbed into bed and tried to venture into dreamland, too. Soon, he realized that he was too anxious for that. His first class tomorrow had to be the dreaded chemistry which he was simultaneously excited and worried about. It didn't help that the only available section started at nine a.m., leaving him no time to slack around. Full of nervous thoughts and anticipation, he managed to shut his eyelids by about two.

***

When he woke up, Rhett was already gone. Perhaps he had an early class this semester, too?

Link only had twenty minutes to get to the building on the other side of campus, now that he overslept. He cussed under his breath as he put his pants on and grabbed his bookbag to sprint down the street: it would only take more time to find a parking space.

By the time he plopped his bag on a desk at the back of the big lecture hall, Link was completely out of breath. Tired from the run and still sleepy, he slumped into a chair and closed his eyes.

The class has started, and the lecturer started his first-day-of-the-semester spiel. Link couldn't be bothered to open his eyes and look at the syllabus. He knew it all: the grading, the lab he had to take concurrently with this class, the attendance policy...

"I don't have the syllabus. Mind sharing?"

At first Link thought he was dreaming. It didn't take long for him to start pinching his arm and turn abruptly to look at the seat beside his. Empty just a second ago, it was now taken by an impossibly tall and lean guy in a shirt which might have been too tight. A guy with a chinstrap beard and a sly look in his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Link blurted out and immediately cowered to not bring any attention to them.

"What do you think?" Rhett was visibly proud of himself, as usual. He sat in his chair in a relaxed manner, eyes gleaming and the side of his mouth crooked in the snicker that Link oh so longed to see. "If you're so stuck on doing this, I don't wanna be late to the party".

"Rhett..." Link gulped and darted a quick look at the board where the lecturer started to draw something. He had way too many questions, but none of them concerned the schedule, the office hours, or the energy diagram that he still remembered from high school. Honestly, all he wanted right now was to run out of the classroom together with Rhett and just talk. It was so typical of Rhett to just show up after a fight as big as to cause all the silence; so Rhett to simply sink into his seat and absentmindedly tell him that the most important decision Link ever made was now not only his.

Instead of saying anything, though, he tried to direct his attention to the board. Even though most professors preferred to keep the syllabus day relatively free of studying to let the students ease into the schedule, this one was certainly not the one to allow slacking off. Chalk moving at the speed of light and his mouth not shutting even for a second, he bombarded them with material, and soon enough Link got absorbed into the explanation of the Schrodinger equation.

Link jotted down notes as fast as he could when he felt Rhett's arm gently nudging his own. Not quite turning to face him, Link quietly asked if anything was wrong.

"You're crazy if you really like this", Rhett whispered in response. Link did hear him start scribbling away a second later, though. A smile touched his lips, and as he listened to the definition of the 'particle in a box', something inside Link's heart sunk back into place. He smiled all throughout the lecture; he smiled when they got out of the lecture hall. He smiled all the way back to their dorm room (his — and, apparently, Rhett's — next class, Calculus, didn't start until two p.m.).

Rhett sat on his bed and looked up at Link, as if offering him the space to speak up.

"So... does this all mean?.." Link mumbled, still smiling and not able to contain the hopeful notes in his voice.

"Yeah, buddyroll. I talked to my dad, and being a doctor didn't sound too bad to him, either", Rhett laughed as he watched Link's expression change from a hopeful glee to the ecstasy that was to be expected. "I applied for a change of major".

Link looked at him with an even more incredulous face: "You serious?"

"Yup. The hell's gonna freeze over before I let our friendship get ruined over something as stupid as this", Rhett shrugged. "Listen, we both didn't know what we wanted before we came here. And different as we are, I trust you know us both better than I do. If you say med school's the way to go, I trust you, brother".

Link stared at him. Hearing Rhett say this out loud was incredible. So incredible that he cautiously asked. "Is that really you talking?"

Rhett chuckled. "Yeah, really. It's not something to joke about. I mean, four more years. And then however many there will be after that. It's a long way to go".

"It is", Link agreed and gulped. "But... I mean... you sure it's what _you_ want?"

Rhett stretched on his bed and nodded. "Yes. I am very sure. My dad invited a doctor friend of his to try and talk me out of it. As you can see, he failed".

Link bit into his lip way too hard in an attempt to prevent a silly smile. "So... you're not mad at me anymore?" he asked finally what has been bothering him ever since he saw Rhett that morning. 

"No, Link, I'm not mad", Rhett shook his head and smiled in the warmest way. "I'm sorry I didn't speak to you for this long. I needed to process everything, and..."

"Don't bother", Link sighed with relief and sat in a chair. "I understand".


	5. Chapter 5

Just as Link expected, the rest of the day was quite pleasant. Their Calculus professor let them go after just about five minutes of pointing out the really important bits in the syllabus (Link would never tell Rhett, but deep inside he felt a crush coming for that middle-aged man with a salt-and-pepper goatee who was so smart that Link's intellectual hunger immediately rang a bell). After that, Link waited for Rhett to get out of Bio 181 that he took last semester, and then Rhett surprised him when he showed up at Link's next Bio class.

"Man, you're supposed to have the 181 beforehand", Link whispered quietly, watching the professor — an Aussie with impossibly curly hair and a deep voice not unlike Rhett's.

"I talked them into letting me take both concurrently", Rhett smirked proudly as he jotted something down from the blackboard. "I'm not gonna let you get ahead".

Link shook his head with a smile: of course, how could he possibly forget about Rhett's competitive streak? The only difference from now on would probably be the fact that they were on relatively even ground here in the realm of studies. Link's studious nature and scrupulousness always stood good fight against Rhett's quick wit and gumption.

As they were walking back to the dorm, Link darted a quick glance at his watch and sighed. "Man, only half an hour to eat..."

"Before what?" Rhett looked at him, puzzled. Link couldn't blame him: on the first day of the semester, it would be very tempting to just stay in and relax, let yourself ease into the grinding routine of pre-med studies, but...

"Before the library", Link gave him a stern look. "I need to go over today's chem notes and read ahead on Bio and Calc. Besides, tomorrow's the first Chem lab, and I still haven't even opened the manual".

"You're such a nerd", Rhett groaned and rolled his eyes. "Why today? Can't it wait until the weekend?"

"The earlier I start reading ahead, the less I have to cram into my head the night before finals", Link scoffed and pulled on the strap of his bookbag. "This semester is easier, anyway — think about next year and the MCAT".

Rhett's silence told him more than any words. Link knew Rhett felt sorry for himself and his free time; he knew just as well that Rhett never gave up when faced with a challenge. In part, that was what drew Link to Rhett throughout the years; that was what made Link develop his own grit and stubbornness. To keep up with Rhett's assiduousness, he forced himself to become better and better. Now that they both were on the same path, it absolutely had to become bearable.

Finally, as they walked into their room, Rhett huffed. "Alright, we'll go to the library. But I'm not staying there past nine".

Link responded by throwing a frozen Big Mac at him and looking at his textbooks with resolve. "I think we'll manage by eight if you don't procrastinate. You have more classes than me".

"Won't you share your notes with me?" Rhett's puppy-dog eyes were invariably funny, always. Link chuckled as he half-heartedly slapped Rhett on the back.

"You jerk. You knew I'd help you".

"'Course", Rhett shrugged with the same smirk he wore all day. "Why else would I sign up for this insanity?"

***

After a quick meal they headed to the library. As Link's favorite desk had not been taken yet, he smiled to himself. It was a silly mind game of his, to make small wishes upon the tiny things whenever they could go two ways. This time, Link wished for Rhett to actually pay attention.

However, it proved to be difficult, as right when they set down their textbooks, the girl Link recognized as his last semester intruder, sat down and looked directly at him.

"Not a loner anymore, huh?" she smiled.

"Um... No, I guess not", Link smiled back. He wasn't particularly shy around women, yet for some reason this particular edgy-looking "punk" intimidated him. She wasn't even all that punk-y this semester, having dyed her hair a uniform, tamer shade of red.

"I'm Christie", the girl extended her hand and looked at Rhett with curiosity. "I took Bio 181 with Charles".

Link coughed as he realized she must've only heard the professors call out his name from the roster. "Actually..."

"I'm Rhett, and he's Link", Rhett nodded and shook Christie's hand. "He never goes by Charles".

"Well, in official settings", Link mumbled as he watched the two start discussing the fact Rhett was now in the same class. "Anyway, Christie, are you taking 183 as well?"

"Yeah, I'm pre-optometry, so can't do without it", she laughed. "I'm in the evening section, though, the morning one was booked".

"I can imagine. We're both in the nine a.m. one", Link gestured towards Rhett. "And this idiot decided to take both 181 and 183 in the same semester".

"Wow, tough luck", Christie glanced at Rhett. "The midterm in 181 was impossible to get through in time".

Rhett hummed to himself as he opened the textbook, and then only cared to utter. "I've got a good tutor to help me".

Link felt his cheeks start to redden at the suggestion, and then glanced back at Christie. "Um... wanna study ahead for 183 together?"

"Yeah, sure", she agreed, pulling out her notebook — which, upon closer inspection, was covered in impeccably neat diagrams and notes written almost in calligraphy.

"Wow!" Link almost jumped at the sight. His interest was now piqued. Mentally, he claimed himself to be too dang easy to impress, but on the surface, he preferred to now pay much more attention to the way Christie pointed some things out to him. "When did you start doing this? We haven't yet had a single lecture..."

"Oh, I got my textbooks like a week before classes started", she smiled. "Had nothing to do, so I wrote some stuff done".

"Some stuff", Link drawled, reading into the lines. "And Rhett called _me_ a nerd..."

"You are one", Rhett scoffed, looking at him over his textbook. "But it's not impossible to out-nerd you".

"Wanna try?" Link raised his eyebrows, trying his hardest not to laugh out loud in the library. The banter was too much of the good old Rhett and Link, both of them enjoying picking at each other.

"Not interested. But I could if I wanted to", Rhett's smug smile remained exactly the same, even though Link hadn't seen much of it lately.

"Oh, of course, the Amazing Rhett is always ready for a challenge, but only if he's naturally good at it. Admit it, bo, you're just too lazy for this one", Link laughed.

"Whoa, whoa", Christie raised her hands. "Let me just ask before it gets ugly — are you two... a thing? I mean, am I interrupting... like a couple thing?"

In the silence that followed, a mosquito buzz would, perhaps, seem to be as loud as a gong. Rhett's jaw dropped down to his chest, while Link fumbled with the pages of his book at loss for words. Finally, they both managed to giggle nervously.

"We're... I mean, I don't know about Linkster here with his heart-eyed stares at certain professors, but I'm not into guys", Rhett exhaled, averting his gaze for some weird reason. Link thought to himself that Rhett was probably just about to blush from the question that never came from a stranger before. With the way their high school was cozy and intimate, they knew everyone, and everyone knew that Rhett and Link, though inseparable, were never to turn down a date with a pretty girl.

"I'm not... I don't... I mean, I just like listening to smart people. Which is why I never listen to Rhett", Link snorted and looked back at Christie. "And I'm also... not into guys. We're just best friends here", he poked Rhett's shoulder from across the table.

"Well, shame on me. You'd make a cute couple though", Christie laughed and briefly nudged Link's elbow. "But I can't say I'm disappointed either".

As he was still pulling himself together after the shocking suggestion of him and Rhett being... an item, it took Link a good minute to realize Christie was flirting. He didn't have all his girlfriends in high school for nothing, though.

"I'm glad to hear that", he gulped and realized his throat went dry. "Are you free Saturday night?"

"I should be", she smiled. "If my sorority doesn't have any parties planned".

"You're in a sorority?" Link raised his eyebrows. With the way she looked, Christie was not a typical sorority girl. How could she possibly end up anywhere like that?

"Yeah, Delta Zeta", Christie nodded. "Do you know where the house is?"

Link gulped. "Probably in the Fraternity Court somewhere?"

"Yeah, 2501. Pick me up at seven", she laughed. However, it didn't seem like she was about to go, and so the three of them spent another hour in the library. Link didn't let himself get distracted by the prospect of a date and focused on his studies as best he could, but Rhett kicking his ankle under the table certainly didn't improve the chances much.

At eight, Link stood up and smiled apologetically at Christie. "I think I'm starting to get a headache. Probably best if I go back to the dorm".

Rhett stood up as well and stretched, almost hitting the ceiling lamp on the way. "I'm tired. It's the first day of school, we shouldn't even be here anyway. Let's call it a night?"

Christie chuckled but rose from her seat and looked back at Link. "I don't have much time to come to the library other days of the week, so... until Saturday?"

All Link could muster was a nod — for which he was relentlessly mocked by Rhett afterwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. I don't have a clue of whether or not class codes changed at NC State throughout the years, or if the pre-optometry requirements were the same as for pre-meds back in the day.
> 
> P.P.S. It's still a rhink fanfic.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of Rhett's POV in this chapter.

Saturday came faster than he expected. Link never thought a date could make him so nervous, yet here he was, trying on one shirt after another in front of a mirror. It didn't help that Rhett laughed every time he messed up his hair or tripped over a pair of pants on the floor.

"Could you maybe try being less of a jerk?" Link snapped eventually, struggling with the buttons of yet another shirt.

Rhett scoffed and got up from his bunk, tugging on the sleeve of Link's shirt and absentmindedly buttoning his cuff. "Yeah, right. It's not like you're putting too much thought into this, lover boy".

The look Link gave him was probably scalding enough to burn a hole through Rhett's tank top. Nonetheless, he accepted the help gladly, as his fingers trembled for an unexplained reason. It didn't even occur to him that, had anyone seen them right now, Christie's suspicion would appear to be a totally valid assumption. To Link, this situation was totally normal. Why wouldn't his best friend clasp his left cuff which was always a bitch to get around to?

"Listen, I just don't wanna fuck this up. I like her", Link confessed, glancing into the mirror to assess the way he looked now. Casual, but not too informal. Perfect.

"I understand", Rhett shrugged and let his arm go. "She's cool".

"Smart. And beautiful, too", Link agreed with an anxious smile. "Though I never thought I'd go for a punk".

"She's not a punk, just... edgy, I guess", Rhett contemplated out loud, returning to his bunk and stretching on it. "But she's bossy. You sure you can handle that?"

"Bossy?" Link was startled. He went back in his mind, refreshing all the encounters he had with Christie so far. Yes, perhaps, she could be called assertive... but he didn't feel like he was bossed around, either. "I'd prefer to call her confident".

"Whatever", Rhett chuckled and closed his eyes. "Don't run back to me for a healthy 'I told you so', buddyroll. I warned you".

"Jerk", Link replied without thinking. His hair was messed up just enough to tell Christie he hadn't just spent three hours fretting, but not too tousled to suggest he just woke up. Overall, he was finally pleased with his reflection — and it was just the right time for him to go pick Christie up. "So... I'm going. Wish me luck?"

"G'luck", Rhett drawled, half asleep. Link was puzzled at how he managed to relax so instantaneously — usually it took Rhett at least half an hour to get comfortable, — but there was no time for him to think about it.

The next minute, he was out the door.

***

What Link didn't know was that Rhett sprung up from his bed as soon as the door closed. Link couldn't have possibly guessed what was going through Rhett's mind — and, to be quite honest, Rhett would prefer it to stay this way for as long as humanly possible.

Sometimes, Rhett's soul filled to the brim with gratitude for Link's gullibility.

He paced the room in big steps, holding his head that throbbed with a million questions. Ever since Monday night, ever since Rhett performed the miraculous feat of self-composure, the questions just kept coming.

_What are you going to do? Is it really that obvious? Are you losing it finally? Is Link ever going to notice? Is this a sin?_

_Come on, Rhett. Get yourself together. It's not like this is the end of the world. It's just their first date, and remember how awkward Link is. He's never gonna score this girl. You still have him._

_But what if he's gonna... what if this is serious? What if she bosses him around enough to get him thinking not about what you two chose but about her choice? What if... he abandons you again?_

_Have you seen the way he sulked all last semester? Have you seen his smile when you sat down in that classroom? Link is yours, Rhett. He is not going anywhere. You are together, you are going to be together. So what if he dates this girl? It's not like you would ever tell him that you... what you feel. It's not like you can, anyway._

_But I will lose it at some point. I'm going to ruin his relationship, I just know it. I did it so many times already that I deserve the title of the worst wingman ever. I hate this girl just because she's trying to claim him. She's so cool, and we could be friends, and I could even go after her myself, if only..._

_This jealousy is different, isn't it? You sense danger, and it's never happened before. You are legitimately scared of losing._

_It's not the time to be competitive. I can't risk it all by ruining our friendship. Link's gonna hate me if I come between them, and I just got him to trust me again, and it's all just too much. Maybe I should just find a girl, too._

_It's not going to be fair to anyone, Rhett. You can't lie to Link, Christie, and some random girl. Don't ever try pretending such a plan can fit well with your principles, it's ugly and wrong. You shouldn't lie to yourself._

_So what then? I'm gay?_

_Yes, Rhett. Yes. You are gay, even if it is just for Link. There's no point in denying it, we've had this conversation so many times. No point in believing all those dreams mean nothing, that your attraction is friendly._

_Alright, alright, alright!_

Rhett threw his pillow at the wall and sat back down. He squeezed his temples as hard as he could, trying to force the pain away, but it overwhelmed him. Jealous as he was, the pangs of self-hatred were much stronger right now. He couldn't have possibly explained it to himself, the way he was obsessed with Link and the agony of having to keep it so secret over the last five years.

The irrationality of it all irritated Rhett almost constantly, as he tried his darn hardest to bury the feeling. It kept popping up again and again, day after day, as if it didn't matter that Rhett chased after girls, dated them, kissed them, fucked them. Fighting it all was a moot point, and Rhett claimed to his inner self that he would stop, and the next day he was still there, asking another girl out. The fear grew inside him, the fear of anyone finding out — and this week has been a nightmare of relentless vigilance. After Christie managed to see right through him, after the wink that went right over Link's head, Rhett was screwed. Shoved brusquely back into the cage of his own lie, he struggled to keep a straight face all week.

It wasn't like he could avoid seeing Link, either. Almost all of their classes were shared now, and Link waited for him to get out of Bio 181, and he waited for Link to get out of his required English class, just because it would be weird if he didn't.

Rhett was trapped.

***

"You're very punctual", Link mumbled under his breath, trying not to look at Christie who looked radiant in her V-neck shirt and tight jeans.

"You too", she smiled, brushing her hair back behind her ears and suddenly smooching Link on the cheek. "So where are we going? I was thinking maybe dinner and a movie?"

Link tried to contain his blush. The word 'bossy' now bounced eagerly in his head, and he couldn't help but see Rhett's mocking grin. After all, he did feel shy around this type of girls, and even if Christie was just being friendly and confident, it wouldn't take long for it to turn into a domineering bitchiness. Link didn't want to believe someone as nice as Christie could change in such a way, yet...

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I planned to do exactly that, if you don't mind. How does the French place on Harrington sound?"

"Good", Christie smiled brightly and chatted about something totally irrelevant on the way to the restaurant. The main topic, of course, was their studies, as Christie was even more of a nerd than Link himself; however, he didn't mind listening to her rant about the totally unfair grading curve on her first Microbiology quiz, and he even managed to squeeze in a joke ( _Pavlov is sitting at a pub enjoying a pint, the phone rings and he jumps up shouting "Oh shit, I forgot to feed the dog!"_ ). He appreciated how whole-heartedly Christie laughed — both at the joke and at Link's clumsy attempt to back into the parking space.

Yet, somehow it was hard for him to relax. The atmosphere was right, and the date seemed to be going well. So why was he so awkwardly stupid?

To her credit, Christie did her best to avoid any uncomfortable subjects, and most of the time, she concentrated on letting Link know more about herself. Sometime she peppered the monologues with questions, but seeing that Link struggled, she soon dropped the case. Link was quite happy with listening and nibbling on the food while his thoughts raced. Were they going to kiss tonight? Did he have to make a move, or was it inappropriate? Why the hell was he so tense?

Evidently, the intense introspection reflected right on his face, because at some point Christie touched his hand and carefully asked. "Are you having a good time?"

And the time it took Link to respond was an answer in and of itself. He hurried to cover up for it, but the opportunity was lost. "Of course I am. You are amazing".

"I know I am", Christie smirked smugly and then sighed. "What I mean is that you are weird tonight. Has anything happened?"

"No", Link gulped. Unexpectedly, a vivid image flashed before his eyes: Rhett, buttoning his cuff, gently touching his wrist. Rhett, falling asleep much faster than usual. Rhett, teasing him in a merciless way, harsher than ever before. Link shook his head to get the unwanted memories out. "Nothing happened".

"Come on, I'm not blind", Christie was not convinced. In fact, she looked concerned now, and as she sipped her water, a knowing smile touched her lips. "It's about Rhett, isn't it?"

Link felt his cheeks starting to burn, and there wasn't any graceful way out of admitting that she hit the bulls-eye. "Ahem... Well, kind of".

"You two are such idiots", Christie sighed and looked at the wall behind Link's back. "What happened?"

"Nothing, I swear". Why were Link's palms so sweaty? It came out of nowhere, this need to find an excuse, to persuade Christie there was nothing to worry about. It wasn't like Link ever thought about Rhett and himself... in that way. In the way Christie seemed to suggest.

"And that's the problem right there", she rolled her eyes. "Listen, I really like you... Link", she still had to correct herself when calling Link by his name, almost slipping into 'Charles'. It bothered Link a little. He wasn't a 'Charles', he never was.

"I really like you too", Link gulped, looking at her soft features and red hair that suited the light freckles so perfectly.

"Glad to hear that. But you do need to figure stuff out with your boyfriend before you can enjoy a date with me. Right now, it feels like I'm sitting here with a cheating husband, and I don't like that", Christie shrugged.

Dumbfounded, Link looked at her for the longest time. It didn't hit close to home for him up until now: Christie thought he really felt something for Rhett. He didn't, not in that sense, really. He was just nervous because he never felt anything similar for a girl, and she was so perfect he was too scared to ruin everything. That was it.

"He's not my boyfriend", Link snapped. Staring Christie right in the eyes, he said between his teeth. "I am just nervous, because I'm a trainwreck when it comes to girls I really like. Here, you happy with that?"

"If you say so. I still want to catch that movie, but, seriously, Charl... Link, I've had it with gay guys. I don't want to be the girl who makes you come out of the closet. Not again", Christie shook her head. Her face bore such a typical know-it-all expression — Rhett had that same mask ready for all the times he claimed Link behaved like an idiot.

Why was Link even comparing them two?! And why the hell was she insinuating he felt anything for Rhett?

"I won't. That's a promise", Link growled.

Yet, the kiss they shared at the movies an hour later did taste bitter to him — for whatever reason.


	7. Chapter 7

It was Thursday.

Link never could the hang of Thursdays. This week especially, because it just had to be the week for two of their classes to put the first midterm on, right? And it was St. Valentine's day this coming Sunday. A nice cherry to complete the sundae of craziness.

As of noon, Link munched on his burger and continued to go through the endless explanation of L’Hôpital’s rule, completely unaware of his surroundings. That was probably why he didn't pay any attention to Rhett, who plopped down in the seat next to him and gulped down his Big Mac in three bites, and then behaved quite strangely.

Link only noticed him upon reaching for his water bottle. After that, it was very difficult to not notice the weird look that Rhett was giving him.

"Man, you alright?" Link raised one eyebrow and sipped his water. He didn't want to suggest anything, but Rhett was definitely not himself. Link even turned around quickly to check if there was a girl behind him — otherwise the only reasonable explanations were that Link didn't know Rhett after all, or that now Rhett's heart-eyes were reserved for some other emotion.

"What?" Rhett shook his head and laughed. "I was just remembering last Saturday. While you were out with Christie, I crashed a party".

Of course, Link noticed the tension in Rhett's laughter. It was clear to him that Rhett was hiding something, and his own paranoid thoughts and general anxiety before the exam didn't help. Furrowing his brows, Link looked Rhett right in the eyes.

"You think I don't know what's going on?" He tried his hardest to bluff, even though in reality, the only educated guess he could make was that Rhett also crushed on Christie.

"What do you mean? I made out with a girl there, she was totally fine", Rhett scoffed, blushing.

"Yeah? What was her name?" Link asked, still suspicious.

"Uhh... Jessie", Rhett obviously strained to remember, and that — surprisingly enough — convinced Link. He giggled and slapped Rhett's shoulder.

"That good, huh?"

"Yeah", Rhett nodded. Link didn't pay much attention to him (or he would have by all means noticed the look of immediate relief that hit Rhett's face) and preferred to get back to refreshing integration techniques. After a minute he turned to face Rhett again, though.

"Can you check?" he asked, hoping that this way, Rhett would memorize at least something. With the amount of stuff on his plate, Link couldn't help but worry about their grandiose plan. Christie was taking up the space that otherwise Link would spend with Rhett, and while they had the best friend Code of not interfering with each other's love lives, Link still sometimes winced at how painfully guilty it made him feel. Not to mention his studies, which were not quite jeopardized yet, but would certainly be endangered, were this relationship with Christie to go any further.

"I don't need your notes", Rhett huffed and pushed Link's notes back, then smirking. "Let's see if you can remember the rule word by word".

"You're on", Link looked at him with utmost aggrievance. "But if I can, then... then you help me with the idea I have for Christie".

"Me?" Rhett did react oddly today. Link was a bit puzzled, but not for long, as Rhett shrugged. "Fine. I don't have a date anyway, so could pick up a sorority gal just as well".

Link rolled his eyes and then concentrated, licking his lips. He purposefully drawled his vowels, slowly reciting the words: "If functions _f_ and _g_ are differentiable on an interval..."

"Oh come on, don't cheat", Rhett elbowed him lightly.

"Okay, the idea is that if you have a limit that cannot be determined, and it's expressed as a fraction, you can differentiate numerator and denominator, and then take the limit", Link snapped, irritated at Rhett having to mess up his ideal polished definition, ready to be transferred to the quiz paper.

Rhett chuckled and tousled his hair: "You're such a nerd, buddyroll. Why do you even bother with all the recap? You know this stuff".

"Because I want the grade to be perfect. Good transcript helps with getting into med school", Link looked back at him and then paused for a brief moment. "I'm glad you're prepared".

"I'm not about to flunk a stupid Calc exam. Not when the stakes are as high as helping you not make a fool of yourself in front of Christie", Rhett grinned and dodged the pretzel that Link threw at him.

"Jerk", Link sighed and stood up. "Let's go, I want to finish early and have some time to run over the lab manual. I ran into the lab assistant guy, he said today's topic is a bitch — likely to take five hours or so".

By the sound of Rhett's groan, Link understood that, even if Rhett was tired, he was still up for a challenge. Once again, Link felt the gratitude fill his brain: it wouldn't have been the same without Rhett by his side.

***

"So what did you think of the seventh question?" Link fretted still, even five hours after the exam was over. He and Rhett were now sweating their asses off in the poorly ventilated closed off lab, standing over the Bunsen burner and waiting for the liquid to collect in the flask. Everyone else was still messing with the previous stage of the experiment, and by virtue of choosing the most intimate corner hood, they now had the time to chat and relax a little.

"Dude, relax", Rhett sighed and shifted his weight from one leg to the other — it obviously bothered him that the lab never had any chairs. "I'm sure you did everything right. You're the nerd, remember?"

"Yeah, right", Link furrowed his brows and fiddled with the bottles on the rack. With Rhett and Link both being among the best students in the course, the TA never worried much and allowed them to take the reagents as they needed; thus, Link's anal retentiveness flourished. It seemed that Link's nirvana was being around all the strong chemicals which could clean the surroundings _really_ efficiently and leave the tables spotless. Rhett usually teased him about it ('You do realize that in med school it will all be about pus, blood, and gnarly bone fragments?'). Link didn't think much of it: the way he saw it, an obsession with hygiene was only good for a doctor. So he continued to play around with the bottles and arranging them on the shelf.

"Hey, hey, careful!" Rhett darted towards him as soon as he noticed, but it was still not fast enough: the bottle with acetic acid (fortunately, the dilute one) was already flying to the ground and splashing the liquid all over Link in the process.

"It's just... Ow!" Link suddenly jumped a little as the acid hit the tiny patch of skin that showed in between his sleeve and latex gloves.

Rhett didn't think twice. With one swift motion, he shoved Link under the emergency shower in that same corner that they chose as their recluse. He did pause for just a second afterwards, but just upon imagining a burn on Link's skin, all of his hesitations flew out the window. Rhett yanked Link's shirt off and with one swift motion, he tugged his pants down to the ground.

"What are you... ow!" Link whimpered when the water blast hit his skin.

"Idiot", Rhett growled. "It's acetic acid. My mom got a burn once just from vinegar, this stuff is strong".

"You could've warned me you were gonna take off my pants!" Link flared up, turning his back to Rhett and letting water wash off the rest of the acid.

"You'd prefer to have your junk all burned and crispy, ready for Valentine's?" Rhett rolled his eyes.

"You are such a butthole", Link hissed, trying to pick up his clothes from the floor. It just so happened that his own butt almost pressed into Rhett.

"What is going on here?"

When Link turned around, he witnessed the TA and their whole lab class peeking from behind the hood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how short this chapter is! I hope that by the weekend, I'll get around to write a big update.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, a bit of Rhett's POV in this chapter. Hope things aren't going too slowly!

"Guys, guys, calm down", said the TA in her thick Chinese accent. It was quite obvious that she was distressed and unprepared for anything like this happening in the lab; Link couldn't blame her for freaking out. He himself was still shivering from the cold shower, even though she gave him a thick blanket. Rhett, sitting next to him, was panting and jittery, leg shaking in that universal rhythm that they usually synchronized in.

"Is there going to be any trouble?" Rhett asked, darting his gaze at Link. "I mean, for us".

"No, I don't think so, but you should go to the doctor", the TA sighed, brushing a loose strand of hair off her face. "I will give you the safety sheet".

Link raised his gaze at her and asked, straining to keep his teeth from clanking: "What ab-b-b-bout you?"

The TA smiled apologetically: "I don't think it should be of concern to you. I will give you a grade for this lab, don't worry".

Link looked back at Rhett and then shook his head. "It's not right. I messed up big time and broke the safety rules. Report it the right way, I can bear it".

"I won't. You guys are pre-meds, right? It will not be good if you have things like this in your CV", the TA waved her hand at him and took a copy of the safety sheet for acetic acid from the shelves behind her. "Here, take this and go straight to the Health Center".

Rhett rose to his feet and looked her straight in the eyes: "Wait, it's not right. Let us at least talk to the professor. Maybe it's not that big of a deal. Or else, just let's not talk about it to anyone. Link didn't get any of it on his skin, except for his wrist and this bit here", Rhett pointed to his own chest. "We can just treat it ourselves".

He promptly yanked the paper from Link's hand and skimmed the text. It caused him to pale just enough for Link's eyes to widen in response.

"Strong acid burns through latex, so go to the doctor and don't worry about the class. It was my fault to allow undergrads in Intro class anywhere near that stuff", the TA said sternly and opened the door of her little cubicle for them.

Their classmates, apparently, were all waiting to hear just how roasted the two would be; with Link still wrapped only in blanket, they looked picturesque for sure. Rhett pushed him behind and walked as a human shield, then only turning and telling his thanks to the TA — a bit louder than expected, just to let everyone know that they were okay, and there was no juicy gossip stemming from the situation.

Link didn't protest Rhett's protective gesture now. At this point, when he knew something wasn't quite right, having Rhett next to him was honestly a blessing. Especially considering the face the TA made when Rhett read through the specs of the reagent.

"Come on, we're going to the Health Center", Rhett nudged him in the back as they walked out of the Chemistry Hall.

"Can I have my clothes back?" Link shivered and looked at him with irritation: the only thing Rhett gave him was the jacket that Link took off before the lab. Yes, the rest of the clothes stank of vinegar and something very synthetic burning, but still, in the middle of February having only a blanket on was not adequate in the least.

"It's only one block, and it can't wait", Rhett patiently explained, as if Link was five. After giving it a little thought, though, he did take off his warm down coat and don it right on top of Link's jacket. "Here. This way you won't freeze".

Link stopped from making another step and stood transfixed for full ten seconds. The smell of Rhett's deodorant, the furnace-like heat that the coat radiated, the gesture itself... it all made his eyes well up with tears all of a sudden, and he struggled to fight them back. Fortunately, the cold weather and a recent shower gave him the right to sniffle all he wanted, so he tried not to give away his sudden moment of gratitude. Entirely platonic gratitude towards just how good Rhett could be.

"Come on. Neither of us needs to freeze to death", Rhett pulled his elbow gently and smiled.

Link shook his head, sniffling again and averting his gaze. It couldn't be that this smile meant what he felt. It was just hormones still playing with his psyche after the adrenaline burst. His judgment must have been very clouded by the fact Rhett acted so brusquely and almost torn his pants off in an attempt to not let Link get burnt. No, definitely, he was just overwhelmed by everything that was happening. Rhett was his best friend. He would've done the same, right?

Still, the walk to the Health Center was awkward. They were both silent to keep warm, and Link never dared to hug Rhett by his waist to at least share the heat; it could have been interpreted in a wrong way.

Link didn't manage to remember the rest of the night, as Rhett ran back and forth between the Center, the Chemistry Hall and the pharmacy. He brought Link his bookbag, filled his prescription, and convoyed him back to the dorm — not that this was even expected. All of that Rhett did with a smile that Link honestly tried to recognize and failed miserably, this facial expression being such a gentle reminder of how soft Rhett's soul really was.

Having returned to the dorm, Link smiled back at him and wondered whether or not his own face made the same impression of being all too tender. He was really tired to think about it for long, and the only words he uttered consciously was a comment towards how he was so far ahead in his medical career now that he was given scrubs to wear in the Center. To that, Rhett only chuckled.

Link never felt Rhett's fingertips gently touching his wounds with ointment; he was sound asleep when Rhett changed him into a pair of PJ pants and covered the burned spots with bandages.

***

Rhett remembered everything very clearly, however. He remembered how worried he was for any potential risk, how relieved he was to learn that they did everything right and there wasn't much danger now except for maybe a couple of light scars that would fade with time. He remembered how he brought Link the good news and the set of scrubs, which Link put on without even looking around first.

_You are such an idiot, Rhett McLaughlin._

_I probably am. But he isn't ever going to learn that, and if he thinks I'm alright, then..._

_You turned back in the middle of your drive and returned to just watch him sleep back in December. Now this? You take care of him as if he's your boyfriend, you can't wipe a smile off your stupid face, and you tend to his burns now? It's not like they are unreachable, even._

_He is tired and he's an idiot who forgets his wallet is in his hand. I am just making sure nobody gets into trouble because of this accident._

_Yeah, right. You stared at him all through the evening, and you can't stop looking at him now._

_Even you can't argue with the fact he's beautiful. With all his quirks, in this silly PJs, with how vainly he freaked out about today's exam... I can't help it. I really can't. Was it obvious that I stared at his junk and his ass when he was under that shower? I tried to keep time, but it's just..._

_You were mostly transfixed on your watch, but occasionally you did look, you poophead. Hopefully Link never noticed._

_I was just worried he might've gotten hurt. I didn't get aroused._

_But you sure are getting there now._

_Oh shut up,_ Rhett thought to himself and shook his head before hitting the shower.

***

Valentine's day came and went with no concern for how Link was feeling. The burns still bothered him, but it gave Christie an amazing opportunity to come spend the night in their dorm room. The date that Link planned eventually got transformed into an intimate evening with candlelight (prohibited in the dorm and sneaked in by Rhett) and a huge box of peanut butter cups that Christie gave him as her present. No dinner was served except for cereal, and, surprisingly even for Link, Christie didn't go for anything other than kisses after they watched an unobtrusive documentary.

Eventually, they climbed into bed and spent the rest of the night sweet talking. Link didn't feel right to move past second base yet, and Christie didn't either. Besides, there was something Link didn't tell even her.

An empty peanut butter jar with a single Hershey kiss that he found in front of their door. Accompanying it was a note on their whiteboard that read: "To Link from someone who loves him".

He was about to jokingly tell Christie she could kiss him anytime when she presented him with the Reese's. At that point, it was obvious that she wasn't the one who left the message — but who else could that be?


	9. Chapter 9

He has been thinking about that mysterious Valentine's present all through the next few weeks, which were much easier to take with no midterms in between. He rarely saw Rhett outside class nowadays, though — with how much more Rhett had to study to manage the load of two Bio classes, it was wiser for Link to not distract him. Besides, with just how much time they spend together anyway, Link felt as though Rhett was growing tired. How else would one explain the mood swings Rhett fell into at times, throwing his bookbag especially violently on the floor, scribbling furiously in his notebooks, avoiding Link at all costs?

Link understood. Even his workload seemed impossible to juggle with the addition of their budding relationship with Christie — as easy-going as she was. They spent most of their weekends together, sometimes choosing to study in the library together, but also making time to run off to the cinema or just walk around town aimlessly. Christie was as good of a conversation partner as Rhett, Link thought to himself, as she would also often go on tangents and enthusiastically discuss absurd concepts and weird theories of how the Universe worked. She rarely mentioned faith in her rambling, but Link did sense a connection in that area as well, especially when they brushed on topics like marriage, their chosen paths, or even childhood memories.

For Link, however, it was impossible to untangle his own worldview from that of Rhett's, and his best friend popped up in their conversations here and there. He inevitably regretted mentioning Rhett at all, because Christie still wouldn't let her theory go. She still thought there was something between them — and it didn't help that Link honestly told her the story of that unfortunate lab accident in all of its glory. She grew more and more suspicious as Link went on and on about their adventures.

She did keep her silence for a week or two, to her credit. For her to explode, it took Link mentioning absentmindedly that Rhett's coat was much warmer than his jacket.

"Why is it so important for you? I'd do the same for any of my friends, is it so crazy to believe your best friend is just a good person and let it go?"

"I... don't know", Link choked up on the water he was sipping. Looking back at Christie, startled, he started scrambling for words. "I mean, I just... remember how warm it was. I'd just taken that shower right before, remember?"

"Yeah, but do you have to mention Rhett every single time you _reminisce_?" she asked, her eyes glowing bright with frustration.

"He was there", Link reminded in a cautious voice, realizing too late that it was a wrong thing to say.

"He is always there! You see him more than you see me, you go way back, and it is oh so obvious to everybody outside of the duo that you two are a couple meant to be!" she lashed out, standing up from the table. They wandered into a small local coffee shop that evening to have some quiet time before returning to studies. Now, quiet was the last word that came to Link's mind.

"Christie, wait!" Link jumped from his seat and grabbed her hand. "Come on, I don't mean to do it, it's just that..."

"You are something else, Charles. You don't even realize how deep this... whatever you have, goes, do you?" Christie sighed, freeing her wrist and grabbing her coat from the adjacent chair. "I know a lot of guys who have best friends. None of them talk about each other so much, and I've never heard of a guy being obsessed with how warm his best friend's coat is. You didn't even hear yourself when you told me it _smelled_ nice. I told you from the very beginning this was not going to work!"

About to reach for her for the second time, Link stopped. He wasn't experienced in handling fights with girls he liked, and this was certainly not the moment in which he could keep his cool. Perhaps it was best to let Christie go right now?

"Christie, come on... I will stop. I will just stop talking about him at all, okay? As if he doesn't exist", he proposed meekly in the last attempt to restore peace.

"Yeah, right. Make me the crazy jealous girlfriend who pushes all of your friends out of your life", she scoffed bitterly and started to put her coat on. "I wouldn't want you to stop talking about anyone ever, but the way you do right now doesn't make much sense. You need to decide who your partner is, Charles, me or him. Look back and think. I am sure you will see who is more important to you".

Link nearly jumped at her unspoken assumption that he would ever choose Rhett as the 'more important one'. He furrowed his brows. Christie was totally unreasonable, and letting her go now would only plant this idea depeer in her head; he needed to act. He grabbed his jacket and threw it around his shoulders so quickly that it wasn't at all hard for him to get to Christie right at the doors.

"You are not even letting me pay for our coffee", he joked, holding her by the waist. Instinctively, he buried his face in her neck to calm down. "But seriously... You are more important to me than anything. Than anyone. I don't want to lose you, Christie, I... I love you".

She was stunned. Link never said it before, and those were not the words to simply throw around, either — she knew him better than that. He saw her hesitation and took the chance. "Come. Let's sit down and talk, please".

Reluctantly, she did take a few steps towards the table, but then stopped again and shook her head. "I don't think it's a good idea. You need some time to think, and I do, too".

It didn't escape Link's attention that Christie never said the words back. It made his heart twitch and pricked his chest sharply; but what was more surprising was a shadow of relief at the back of his mind. Was he really not even expecting to hear it back?

When he looked up again, she was gone, a five dollar bill left under her cup. That was a petty gesture: Link never minded paying for her, forgetting about his own stringent budget whenever he wanted to impress Christie. Her choosing to strip him of this courtesy meant much more, and Link knew what she meant. She was independent of him from now on.

He barely scraped the remnants of his pride to not break down right there in the coffee shop. Somehow, he got back to the dorm and climbed into his bed.

It'd be foolish of him to think that Rhett would let it slide. Even though the lights were off when Link got back, Rhett clearly wasn't asleep, because just as Link was about to burst into silent tears, he heard Rhett softly ask. "Something wrong, bo?"

"N... nothing", Link managed to utter. Of course, the idea of sharing with Rhett was enticing. It was his second nature to never keep a secret from Rhett, especially not now, after one secret almost ruined their friendship; however, to tell him about breaking up, about the reasons why it happened... it would be so insensitive. Link would never want to hurt Rhett by suggesting that they might have seemed to be more than friends; Rhett didn't deserve to get pulled into this mess.

"Doesn't seem like it. I won't judge, just tell me", Rhett insisted — and something in his voice, an indescribable quality of the gentle tone made Link doubt all of his feelings once again. Was Christie right?

"It's... it doesn't really matter. Christie just decided to... take a break. From our relationship", Link stuttered. He didn't even notice the wetness on his pillow before shifting a bit. It did hit him, apparently, and even harder than he expected. He heard Rhett breathing heavily in silence, but just before he could say anything, Link hastily added. "I even told her that I love her. And still..."

Rhett apparently hit his head on the side of the bunk, and Link sat in his bed. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah... just didn't expect that. You never said that to a girl so early into a relationship", Rhett mumbled. "I'm sorry".

"Don't be. You are right, I did rush with it... she didn't say it back anyway", Link bit his lip nervously as he sank back into his pillow, cold and wet with tears.

Rhett didn't answer to him for the longest time, but when he did, his voice was once again strangely subdued. "I'm so sorry. Sounds awful".

"It was", Link agreed, closing his eyes and then suddenly deciding to let Rhett in on the secret. It wasn't right to keep Rhett in the dark; after all, it concerned them both. And with how he reacted, Link could now be sure that there wouldn't be any mixed feelings. "You know why she decided to do this?"

"No. Everything seemed fine between y'all, I can't imagine why", Rhett answered in a muffled tone, as if he was talking through his pillow.

"She is sure that... that me and you, that we are a thing. A couple meant to be. I tried explaining that it's not at all like that, but she won't listen", Link's bitter smirk was almost audible, and he squeezed his sheets in despair. "Just how stubborn that girl is at times..."

Again, Rhett remained completely quiet for a few minutes. Link started to think he fell asleep when finally the silence was broken.

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Rhett whispered.

"What? No, no, I don't want you to get involved in this mess, man, it'd be too much to ask", Link protested without even thinking twice. "I'm just... I don't even know if I want her back with this crazy conspiracy in her head, you know? She is amazing, and the relationship was great up to now, but..."

"But do you love her?" Rhett finished his sentence. He did sound genuinely interested in the answer, but it stroke Link as if there was also a hint at pain in his voice. Was he hearing things again?

"I don't know", he honestly replied after taking a deep breath. "I said it to her, but I don't even know if I feel it. When she didn't say it back, man... I don't want to come across as a jerk, but I was kinda relieved".

Rhett chuckled loud enough for Link to hear. Not that it offended him.

"Why were you relieved?"

"I dunno. I guess because this relationship thing was sort of forced from the beginning. I saw a smart, beautiful girl who was my type, I chased after her, and everything went according to the Big Plan, you know? But it didn't even feel real. Just your average story of how it should be ideally. Doing everything according to the sappy books and movies", Link gulped. As he pronounced these words, something in him stirred, as if the needle of a compass finally returned to its position, pointing north after wandering aimlessly. He spoke the truth now, and it did feel liberating.

"I get it", Rhett said, his voice tender afresh. "Like swimming down stream".

"Yeah, like that", Link allowed himself a bit of a smile. Really, what else did he expect? Rhett understood, as always; Rhett was the one person on whom he could rely, no matter the circumstances. No matter what Christie thought, no matter what second meaning their connection held in her mind, they really were more than best friends. There just wasn't a word for how close Link felt to Rhett at this moment. "And, you know... When she didn't say the words back, it made me realize something".

"What?" Rhett yawned so wide it made Link smile one more time. They did have classes in the morning, to be fair.

"She couldn't say it even though we were dating. But that person who left me the Hershey kiss... they wrote it just like that", Link shrugged. "Maybe I was just too focused on Christie and didn't notice that somebody else is more worthy of attention".

***

Rhett heard it. He certainly heard Link say "they" when referring to the mystery gift-giver. If Link was only on the lookout for girls, he would've referred to the _girl_ , to how _she_ left the note. It wasn't a slip of tongue, Rhett was pretty sure of that. Did it mean that... something was possible?

He couldn't, just couldn't bring attention to it casually. It had to come later, maybe in a month or two, not tonight.

_So he did think about your stupid Hershey kiss._

_Anything more, and he would know it was me. I even had to ask some random dude to write the note. If I'm not careful, he will just..._

_Yeah, you idiot, Link the Gullible will of course read through your poker face. Admit it, you are a little paranoid._

_No, I'm not. For better or for worse, Christie planted the idea in his head now. I have to be extra cautious._

_But you are also ecstatic, aren't you?_

_...alright, I am. I am glad Christie turned out to be much smarter than I thought. I am glad she has such a big heart, I'm happy she granted me the mercy of never getting involved directly. I'm glad they broke up — and that makes me just despicable._

_Yes it does. But it also means you get a chance at ruining his next relationship._

_I won't. I will keep it cool, I will avoid him even more. I will give him as much space as he needs._

_Just to be close, huh? You are inconsistent as hell._

_Maybe I am, but at least this way I won't risk losing him completely. I will never let it happen._

"I'm still sure it was a prank. You didn't eat that chocolate, did you?" Rhett scoffed out loud, giving it his all to not let the inner tornado get out of control.

"No, I... I actually saved it and the jar. It was... sweet. Very sweet. I keep thinking about who could've done it", Link admitted and yawned. "Whoever it was, I hope I'll find out to at least say thanks. Knowing that someone loves me is nice, and who knows, maybe something happens between us..." he mumbled incoherently, starting to fall asleep.

_Stop hoping, it's pointless. It can only happen in your dreams, McLaughlin._

_Then it's very appropriate that I'm going to sleep now. I have him there, and that's good enough — as long as I get to have him in my dreams..._


End file.
